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Saturday, January 18, 2014

What's Comfortable

People say that things happen when they least expect them, and when they are just doing what they love and having fun. This week is my birthday. I'm turning an age I will never fess up to, and I must admit that my life has gone in a direction that I NEVER thought I would be going at this point in time. That's not necessarily a bad thing though.

If my life had gone the way that I believed it was going to go in I would still be in Kentucky, or Southern Indiana living a life that was "comfortable". At some point though I knew that comfortable wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to branch out, try new things, and step outside of my comfort zone. Even this week I'll be welcoming my old age by stepping outside of my comfort zone and going to learn how to snowboard. (Mark that one off the bucket list!) The fact is that sometimes it's scary to step outside of that comfortable state of mind we all get stuck in. In my experience it's always been worth it though.

I'm an over-thinker, and analyze my life quite often. This is sometimes a good thing, but this also has it's drawbacks. For instance, I find myself over-thinking and analyzing whether moving to Colorado was a good choice or not every time I have a struggle such as unemployment or financial stress. Was moving here a bad idea? No! I'm happy, I like who I am, and I've met great people and done some rather amazing things since being here. But I over-think and analyze when things are rough, and of course I feel like moving here was a bad idea then. I'd probably be in the same situations though if I hadn't moved here. It's easy to blame your problems and struggles on having gone outside of that comfort zone though. It's the easy way out.

Last night I was reminded about how over thinking and analyzing can be a bad thing though. I was awake into the early morning when many were just waking up for work. I hadn't been able to sleep, and what little dozing off I was able to do was interrupted by a reoccurring nightmare that began about a year ago. You see a photo of someone had come up into my social media feed and reminded me of time I had spent with them. I miss this person, but I removed them from my life for a reason. Somehow they keep creeping back in though. Maybe I let my guard down because I'm hopeful that they have changed. Or maybe they push their way back into my mind because I need to be reminded that things change, no matter how hard we hold on and fight that change. Whatever the reason I spent my night analyzing their place in my life, and thinking about why I had let them in in the first place. This morning I found myself with the dark circles under my eyes from a restless night of sleep, an upset stomach, and a lack of ambition and joy to do anything today. By over-thinking, and analyzing I had allowed that person to do exactly what I had pushed them out of my life for doing.

That person is comfortable to me. They are my comfort zone, and I have a feeling that's why I let them into my life time and time again. The fact is, I know I don't like how they make me feel anymore. I don't like the person I am when I'm with them anymore. It's scary to think that moving my life away from a person is a good thing, but sometimes you have to do it. I don't want to be that person with them anymore, so I need to change and not be with them. Just like I needed to change and move away from Kentucky to be the better me I have become since I moved here.

When I have stepped outside of my comfort zone, I've found new adventures, had fun, and discovered new skills and passions. I'm not saying every time you step out you're going to find these things, or that you have to do these things every day. I'm saying you have to step outside of that comfort zone and be a bit uncomfortable sometimes to find those things that you do enjoy doing, and love. As I turn another year older I hope that I am able to do this more often. To take more chances, be uncomfortable more, and find more of those things that I enjoy and have fun doing. I hope that by doing this other aspects of my life will begin to improve and advance, and a snowball effect will begin to take place. I don't know if that will happen, but I want to at least try. First things first though, I have to try snowboarding before I can know if I'm any good at it and enjoy it. ;-)

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Favorite Quotes

"The story of your life has many chapters. One bad chapter doesn't mean it's the end of the book." ~ Unknown

"And I say again, never give up, no matter what is going on around you, never give up." ~ Dalai Lama XIV

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story." ~ Orson Welles

"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up." ~ James Baldwin

"The two most important days of your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why." ~ Mark Twain

"You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough." ~ Frank Crane

“Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory.” ~ Gandhi

"You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people cant take their eyes off of you." ~ Maya Angelou

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.” ~ Unknown

“Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you." ~ Charlie Brown

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." ~ Christopher Robin to Pooh

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." ~ Albert Einstein

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” ~ Dr. Seuss

"You are what you eat, which I guess makes me part mosquito." ~ Kermit The Frog

"In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back." ~ Charlie Brown

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." ~ Walt Disney

"Brick Walls are there for a reason, they let us prove how badly we want things." ~ Randy Pausch

"The fool doth thinks he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool." ~ 'As You Like It', Act 5 scene 1

"When I was young my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been here." ~ Jim Henson

"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." ~ Professor Harold Hill in 'The Music Man'

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss